Lens mold

ABSTRACT

A lens mold comprises a first pressing portion, a second pressing portion, and a shaping portion disposed between the two, which comprises an upper slide and a lower slide. The upper slide and the lower slide are connected to the second pressing portion, and can slide along each other. A mold cavity in fluidic communication with a flow path and the inlet such that the lens material flows from the inlet to the mold cavity along the flow path to form a shaped lens. After the lens is formed, the upper slide and the lower slide away from each other separately, where a part of the shaped lens is remains in a recess defined in the second pressing portion, to help release the shaped lens from the mold.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure is related to lenses, and particularly, to a projection shaping mold for plastic lenses.

2. Description of Related Art

As electronic devices are produced with increasingly small profiles, lenses for smaller devices must be thinner than before. Plastic lenses for electronic devices are often shaped and formed in a mold where removal of the plastic lenses from the mold is often done by a pushing pin. However, after being shaped, a thin lens may be easily damaged when pushed from the mold in the manner described, resulting in poor yield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of the lens mold as disclosed.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the lens mold as disclosed when the mold is opened.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the lens mold as disclosed showing the lens ready for removal from the mold.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the shaping portion in the lens mold as disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 showing a lens mold 1 comprising a first pressing portion 10, a shaping portion 12 and a second pressing portion 14. The shaping portion 12 is disposed between the first pressing portion 10 and the second pressing portion 14, where the first pressing portion 10 and the second shaping portion are both configured for tightly pressing the shaping portion 12.

The first pressing portion 10 comprises a first base 101 and a first pad 102. An inlet 1011 is disposed near the center of a surface 101 a of the first base 101, away from the shaping portion 12. The first pad 102 is disposed on a surface 101 b of the first base 101, in proximity to the shaping portion 12. An injection path 1 a is extended from the inlet 1011 to the shaping portion 12.

The second pressing portion 14 comprises a second base 141 and a second pad 142. The second pad 142 is disposed on a surface 141 b, in proximity to the shaping portion 12. A recess 1 c is disposed on a surface of the second pad 142, in proximity to the shaping portion.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the shaping portion 12 is disposed between the first pressing portion 10 and the second pressing portion 14, and also disposed between an upper slide 121 and a lower slide 122. When the upper slide 121 and the lower slide 122 close together, a mold cavity 123 and a flow path 1 b are formed internally for shaping the lens, which are in fluidic communication with each other. The mold cavity 123 and the flow path 1 b are contoured so as to define at least one surface of the lens. As FIG. 4 shows, the mold cavity 123 is distributed symmetrically on two opposite sides of the path 1 b. The upper slide 121 and the lower slide 122 are connected to the second pad 142, and are configured for sliding relative to the second pad 142 via a pulley or rail system. Accordingly, the upper slide 121 and the lower slide 122 achieve the mold release.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, when the upper slide 121 and the lower slide 122 close, melted plastic flows through the inlet 1011 of the first pressing portion into the flow path 1 b of the shaping portion 12 along the injection path 1 a. The melted plastic then fills the mold cavity 123 through the branch flow path 1 b′, where a portion of the melted plastic is also received in the recess 1 c. The melted plastic is cooled inside the shaping portion 12, and shaped into a lens. After the lens is shaped, the first pressing portion 10 is separated from the shaping portion 12, and the upper slide 121 slips upwards and the lower slide 122 downwards so as to slip away from each other. Because the shaped lens is partially received in the recess 1 c, the shaped lens is released from the upper slide 121 and the lower slide 122, and can be removed from the mold by a robot manipulator. Thus, the lens partially received in the recess 1 c is protected from damage caused by a pushing pin.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

1. A lens mold, comprising: a first pressing portion defining an inlet to receive material to make a lens; a second pressing portion; a shaping portion disposed between the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion, the shaping portion comprising an upper slide and a lower slide connected to the second pressing portion, the upper and lower slides configured for sliding along each other; a mold cavity in fluidic communication with a flow path and the inlet such that the lens material flows from the inlet to the mold cavity along the flow path, the mold cavity and the flow path contoured to define at least one surface of the lens, wherein contours of the mold cavity and the flow path are defined when the upper slide and lower slide close; and a recess defined on a surface of the second pressing portion that is adjacent to the shaping portion, the recess in fluidic communication with the flow path when the upper slide and the lower slide close so as to receive a portion of the lens material.
 2. The mold for shaping a lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pressing portion comprises a first base and a first pad disposed on a surface of the first base that is in proximity to the shaping portion.
 3. The mold for forming lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pressing portion includes a second base and a second pad provided on a surface of the second base that is adjacent to the shaping portion, the upper slide and the lower slide being connected to the second pad of the second pressing portion.
 4. The mold for shaping a lens as claimed in claim 3, wherein the recess is defined on the surface of the second pad.
 5. The mold for shaping a lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mold cavity is uniformly distributed along the flow path.
 6. The mold for shaping a lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper slide and the lower slide are connected to the second pressing portion via a pulley or a rail system. 